Ann Romney, the wife of the Republican President candidate Mitt Romney, has suffered from multiple sclerosis for years. She claims taking part in dressage, aka horse ballet, has greatly helped relieve the debilitating symptoms of her disease. Fortunately for her, the Romneys own several such horses, each valued at roughly $100,000, including one that may go to the Olympics.

I’m happy that Ann Romney found something that works for her, because I personally want everyone suffering from an illness to be able to get the best relief they can. Unfortunately, Mitt Romney apparently doesn’t share my view.

Mitt Romney has repeatedly stated that he opposes medical marijuana and believes it should be illegal. This is in spite of the fact that multiple scientific studies have proven that medical marijuana helps relieve the pain and muscle tightness caused by multiple sclerosis. For many Americans medical marijuana provides a similar relief from the pain and muscle problems of MS that Ann claims to get from taking part in dressage.

Unlike the Romneys, very few Americans suffering from MS can afford to buy and keep horses, let alone $100,000 dressage horses, to try to reduce their symptoms. Even if they could, many can’t ride horses nor is there any scientific guarantee that taking part in horse ballet would significantly help them. What we do know from scientific studies is that for many people with this particular disease, medical marijuana can help improve their quality of life. Yet Mitt Romney thinks those who grow and/or use medical marijuana for this purpose should be treated like criminals.

While I’m glad Ann has found something that helps her deal with MS, I’m sickened that Mitt Romney thinks it is acceptable to deny a proven way to provide this same relief to others by opposing medical marijuana.

Ann Romney, the wife of the Republican President candidate Mitt Romney, has suffered from multiple sclerosis for years. She claims taking part in dressage, aka horse ballet, has greatly helped relieve the debilitating symptoms of her disease. Fortunately for her, the Romneys own several such horses, each valued at roughly $100,000, including one that may go to the Olympics.

I’m happy that Ann Romney found something that works for her, because I personally want everyone suffering from an illness to be able to get the best relief they can. Unfortunately, Mitt Romney apparently doesn’t share my view.

Mitt Romney has repeatedly stated that he opposes medical marijuana and believes it should be illegal. This is in spite of the fact that multiple scientific studies have proven that medical marijuana helps relieve the pain and muscle tightness caused by multiple sclerosis. For many Americans medical marijuana provides a similar relief from the pain and muscle problems of MS that Ann claims to get from taking part in dressage.

Unlike the Romneys, very few Americans suffering from MS can afford to buy and keep horses, let alone $100,000 dressage horses, to try to reduce their symptoms. Even if they could, many can’t ride horses nor is there any scientific guarantee that taking part in horse ballet would significantly help them. What we do know from scientific studies is that for many people with this particular disease, medical marijuana can help improve their quality of life. Yet Mitt Romney thinks those who grow and/or use medical marijuana for this purpose should be treated like criminals.

While I’m glad Ann has found something that helps her deal with MS, I’m sickened that Mitt Romney thinks it is acceptable to deny a proven way to provide this same relief to others by opposing medical marijuana.

Jon Walker

Jonathan Walker grew up in New Jersey. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 2006. He is now living in the Washington DC area. He created a politics and policy blog, The Walker Report (http://jwalkerreport.blogspot.com/).